File - Ira Madiyama, October 2005

The film revolves around three narratives which unfold simultaneously. During two scorching days in August, three different groups of people face different experiences due to circumstances beyond their control. These are ordinary people thrown into the heat of war. The experiences they encounter may not be directly related to the conflict. These events, like the weather, govern their lives. Yet they have to continue beyond these encounters to exist in a society that is traumatized and disturbed by nearly twenty years of civil war between the majority Sinhala government forces and the rebel movement from the minority Tamil community who are fighting for autonomy and self-determination.

An eleven year old Muslim boy, Arfath, is struggling to keep his companion and friend, a dog, while the family is forced out of their home by the rebels. Chamari, a young women is looking for her husband who is a soldier missing in action. A young soldier Duminda walks into a brothel to find his sister among the working girls.

The main action of the film takes place in Sri Lanka’s northern territories, parts of which are controlled by the Tamil rebels who have created a de-facto separate state. These stories are about people who are struggling to hold on to their hopes and dreams while being swept up by the torrents of war. The film is about their quest for life.